The School Board of Highlands County approved a slight increase in the ad valorum tax rate and approved its 2008-09 budget. ...more

September 12, 2008

Charlie Crist released his official proposal to transfer $672 million from the stabilization fund to cover the shortfall in general revenue. ...more

August 29, 2008

The Avon Park City Council decided it would take more money from churches and non-profit groups to support the fire department, but the extra revenue wouldn't make up for a $74,000 budget deficit the city has just discovered. ...more

August 27, 2008

AVON PARK - Churches and non-profit groups in the City of Charm will have to fork over more money for their fire protection after the council voted 4-1 to charge them 75 percent of the institutional rate for the city's fire assessment. This means that churches will have to pay 50 percent more to the city's fire department through the annual assessment than it did last year, when they were charged 50 percent of the institutional rate. Homeowners will still pay $165, while commercial and nursing home rates were unchanged. ...more

August 25, 2008

The State Board of Education proposed an increase Tuesday of nearly $1.2 billion in spending for Florida's public schools and community colleges in the next budget year. ...more

August 20, 2008

Board votes 3-0 to approve millage rate of 7.78 ...more

July 30, 2008

It's not going to be an easy year. That's the word from the members of the Hernando County School Board, who voted 3-0 Tuesday during their first budget hearing to approve a proposed millage rate of 7.78, which will generate $84.4 million in tax revenues at 95 percent collections. ...more

July 30, 2008

The city of Avon Park's budget reflects a total drop of more than $6 million in its total revenues for the next fiscal year. ...more

July 22, 2008

It's easy to think of public art as a luxury in tough financial times, but to create a community with a sense of place, investing in public art is a necessity. ...more

July 20, 2008

The system for funding Social Security is "a disgrace" because it forces young Americans to pay into a program that is unlikely to benefit them in its current form, Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain said this week, wading into politically touchy territory. ...more

July 10, 2008